US Politics Thread |OT| SAD TRUMP

[agrajag]

Too bad the dems are too soft to do any of that

[Nintex]

Discussion of classified information at Mar-a-Lago

Deciding to start WW3 or not over chocolate cake in between Instagram shots with Steve Bannon and Michael Flynn. 

Those were simpler times



 

[CatsCatsCats]

Too bad the dems are too soft to do any of that

Flip the house?

[Mandark]

If the Dems get either chamber I'd expect to see a lot of oversight hearings. That's what happened in 2007-8, and the dynamic (no prospects of major compromise legislation, a constituency that really hates the Republican president) would be similar. The main difference is how many huge flashing targets there would be this time around.

I mostly posted that article cause it shows there's at least some awareness in the GOP that the constant stream of fuckups and scandals becomes more of a liability if they lose control of Congress, yet they still spent the last year and a half letting it all happen or encouraging it.

[Phoenix Dark]

I'm late but I just want to point out that the only reason the NFL even rolls out the flag and prominently does the national anthem is because the DOD gave them a bunch of money. The JayDubya I knew and served with in Vietnam would have been disgusted at the federal government wasting tax payer money on frivolous bullshit. Perhaps the man I knew was a mirage. Perhaps the man I knew never left Vietnam.

[Boogie]

I've always been reluctant to ascribe bad motives to JayDubya beyond "earnestly held Libertarian beliefs", no matter how much I might be annoyed with him......but the hardcore libertarian losing his shit at dudes using their American Freedom (TM) to take a knee during the anthem?  Fuck outta here, how do you even claim to hold to your own principles there?

spoiler (click to show/hide)

And remember, I'm the cop here, who can't even say I'm on board with the original cause of the protest movement, but still think they have every right to these actions

[close]

[Oblivion]

Wait til Jaydubya hears about that Muhammad Ali guy

[Assimilate]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

And remember, I'm the cop here, who can't even say I'm on board with the original cause of the protest movement, but still think they have every right to these actions

[close]

I thought you were Canadian?

[Madrun Badrun]

No true Canadians are cops.  It's true.  Assi knows what's up.   

[kingv]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

And remember, I'm the cop here, who can't even say I'm on board with the original cause of the protest movement, but still think they have every right to these actions

[close]

I thought you were Canadian?

He meant Mountie!

 

Also, as someone that spent about 8 years as a military officer all this crazy patriotism and fetishization of the military makes me sort of sick to my stomach. Like people will say thanks for your service and put up red flags and shot but not do a damn thing for disabled or homeless vets. It’s bullshit.

But then again a lot of the dumbass troops eat up that shit too. I don’t know how many times I’ve worked with some dumb motherfucker that wants to raise social security age and cut Medicare but is outraged when someone threatens to make a change to military retirement or is outraged that Tricare for like costs $1000 per year instead of $150 because “he earned it”.

[Mandark]

I've always been reluctant to ascribe bad motives to JayDubya beyond "earnestly held Libertarian beliefs", no matter how much I might be annoyed with him......but the hardcore libertarian losing his shit at dudes using their American Freedom (TM) to take a knee during the anthem?  Fuck outta here, how do you even claim to hold to your own principles there?

The answer JD would give: they might have a Constitutional right to do it, but I can still judge them for it, and they are deliberately transgressing consensus community standards of behavior, which are so obvious that my own anger needs no other explanation.

The answer Mandark would give: JD tends to react based on certain social/cultural beliefs which he then rationalizes ideologically, often citing some broad objective truth that he's not interested in proving. In this case, he doesn't just support freedom of contract, but also instinctively sees workers as being subordinate to management, and (the most charitable interpretation here) is so hyper-skeptical of claims of racism that he begins from the assumption that black people making those claims are doing so cynically.

[Mandark]

"I'm a cop."

"But I thought you were Canadian."

 

[Madrun Badrun]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

And remember, I'm the cop here, who can't even say I'm on board with the original cause of the protest movement, but still think they have every right to these actions

[close]

I thought you were Canadian?

He meant Mountie!

 

[Madrun Badrun]

BTW that clip is what they use to explain Americans to second graders.  In third grade, we get this



 

[Mandark]

Also, as someone that spent about 8 years as a military officer all this crazy patriotism and fetishization of the military makes me sort of sick to my stomach. Like people will say thanks for your service and put up red flags and shot but not do a damn thing for disabled or homeless vets. It’s bullshit.

A lot has changed even in my lifetime, especially since 9/11, but I also know a Vietnam veteran who says that the big change was when they effectively got rid of the draft and switched to a fully volunteer army. His take is that as people became more removed from the military, there was a guilt that they dealt with by paying it more lip service.

I try to think about a show like M*A*S*H or even Hogan's Heroes being made in the aughts and I can't imagine it.

[jakefromstatefarm]

A lot has changed even in my lifetime, especially since 9/11, but I also know a Vietnam veteran who says that the big change was when they effectively got rid of the draft and switched to a fully volunteer army. His take is that as people became more removed from the military, there was a guilt that they dealt with by paying it more lip service.

I try to think about a show like M*A*S*H or even Hogan's Heroes being made in the aughts and I can't imagine it.

i remember an op-ed from a couple years back that argued on exactly these lines but emphasized the shrinking amount, just in purely demographic terms, of Americans who were proximate in some way to the military. And that’s what led to an infantilization of the rhetoric surrounding the armed forces and the use of them abroad.

fake edit: I think it was this one but idk

[El Babua]

The compromise where they just stay in the locker room seems fine.  This is a business, they are employees, and them showing their ass hurts the bottom line.  They may hold the country where they can make so goddamn much money for something so useless in disdain, but when their antics hurt the bottom line and make the company look like assholes for keeping them around, then they might (should) be fired.

See I told you he's mad that the NFL doesn't have the power to just get rid unruly employees.

Unions

Being valuable enough to not be easily replaced so the perceived feudalistic hierarchy common in most businesses becoming flipped

[VomKriege]

A lot has changed even in my lifetime, especially since 9/11, but I also know a Vietnam veteran who says that the big change was when they effectively got rid of the draft and switched to a fully volunteer army. His take is that as people became more removed from the military, there was a guilt that they dealt with by paying it more lip service.

I try to think about a show like M*A*S*H or even Hogan's Heroes being made in the aughts and I can't imagine it.

i remember an op-ed from a couple years back that argued on exactly these lines but emphasized the shrinking amount, just in purely demographic terms, of Americans who were proximate in some way to the military. And that’s what led to an infantilization of the rhetoric surrounding the armed forces and the use of them abroad.

fake edit: I think it was this one but idk

France went through the same thing (national service was abolished after a reform spanning 1997 to 2002) and yet we don't have the amount of fetishization you have in the US (there's some similitudes with regards to worries that the general public is overly insulated from defence issues, a lot of people thought the service served assimilation and social purposes by having a lot of citizens from different horizons living together).

Maybe it's cultural and historical, with the public being less trustful or naive towards the institution (less defeats, less scandals). Maybe has to do with patriotism in general being more devalued in Europe. Probably has a lot to do with the US being the imperial top dog and the military being such a core pillar of that.

Having the anthem play before every club game of a professional league is a bit bonkers watching from this side of the pond. But as noted above it's over the board for you too in the sense that it wouldn't be the case if the DOD didn't incentivize this with money (same for how they conduct large scale efforts to steer movie depictions into more positive portrayals).

[Joe Molotov]

TIL John McCain's mom is still alive. She's 106. 

[Brehvolution]

https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1031561430213029888

 I'm really LTTP on this, but what wasn't said is that the mom smacked the son's face and sent him back to his room or he wouldn't get dinner.

[kingv]

https://twitter.com/realcandaceo/status/1033791842414780416?s=21

She’s such a grifter 😂

[Mollys Fruity Loops]

Will Sommer has such a hard on for qanon recently. 

[Phoenix Dark]

https://thebudgetguy.blog/2018/08/27/current-60-chance-of-a-government-shutdown-very-likely-to-increase-further/

In the past I've felt giving Trump funding for the Wall in exchange for progressive funding; Trump is a deal maker and likes stimulus spending for instance. But at this point I don't see a point in negotiating over this before the midterms. If Trump wants to shut down the government over a paltry 5b for a Wall that will never be built, so be it. He's proven many times that he cannot stomach negative TV coverage for instance, so I'd expect that at some point he will blame republicans for making him look bad, sign the bill, and declare victory.

[kingv]

https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1031561430213029888

 I'm really LTTP on this, but what wasn't said is that the mom smacked the son's face and sent him back to his room or he wouldn't get dinner.

‘Class action lawsuit’!

Good luck! Your precious republicans have basically guaranteed your only option is arbitration.

[Dickie Dee]

TIL John McCain's mom is still alive. She's 106. 

I wonder what that's even like - assuming she still has her faculties.

They say no parent should outlive their child but living a very, very full life and dying at 81 isn't exactly a tragedy.

[Steve Contra]

Imagining some fedora trying to "truthbomb" his grandma about Q at sunday dinner while she laughs at him is really making my day.

[kingv]

“But grandma, but grandma look at this picture where Hillary is wearing red shoes and eating pizza... I mean, she’s clearly a pedophile!”

Topically, this NAFTA thing is a joke. One thing that has sort of surprised me is how much a PT Barnum motherfucker the whole administration has let Trump Be. Like he oftentimes schedules these press conferences where he announces fucking nothing and calls it a win. Like Mexico and the US have not really agreed on anything.

Also how the rest of the government treats Trump as not quite 100% President. He just announced he’s leaving NAFTA and but people just basically ignored it.

[Nintex]

They asked him about it


 

[zomgee]

It would be great if they flew Trump's one red stripe one blue stripe flag over the white house.

[Nintex]

You mean they asked him why the flag wasn't lowered or just about McCain in general?

According to Mark Knoller he was asked to reflect on the legacy of McCain by reporters and folded his arms and sat silent while the press was removed from the Oval office.

[agrajag]

we have a babby for president

[Joe Molotov]

We all know how fucking petty Trump is.

But think about it. McCain is fucking DEAD, and he still has a grudge.

Trump, a living person, is holding a grudge against McCain, a dead person.

There are no fucking words for this shit.

https://twitter.com/TheOnion/status/1034132697462005761

[Nintex]

He got a second chance and blew that too
https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/1034155242294632448

Trump's day so far:

- Tries to get Mexican president on speaker phone and fails at the attempt
- Folds arms when the topic of McCain comes up
- Again doesn't say anything about McCain
- Is urged by veteran organizations to lower the flags to half mast on the White House in honor of McCain
- For a third time refuses to talk about McCain

https://twitter.com/Sang_254/status/1034156878912217090

[kingv]

It’s amazingly petty, even though I think respect for McCain is oversold.

Like just because he was the last Republican with a shred of a spine and something resembling a moral core he gets venerated... but it’s only notable because the r st of the party has rotted away.

Like he still voted to give away trillions to corporations while raising everybody’s taxes and busting a hole in the deficit like 9 months ago.

[curly]

plus he was a really shitty pilot

[Nintex]

Trump gives in to pressure but he did get a lot of news coverage. 

Despite our differences on policy and politics, I respect Senator John McCain’s service to our country and, in his honor, have signed a proclamation to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff until the day of his interment.

I have asked Vice President Mike Pence to offer an address at the ceremony honoring Senator McCain at the United States Capitol this Friday.

At the request of the McCain family, I have also authorized military transportation of Senator McCain’s remains from Arizona to Washington, D.C., military pallbearers and band support, and a horse and caisson transport during the service at the United States Naval Academy.

Finally, I have asked General John Kelly, Secretary James Mattis, and Ambassador John Bolton to represent my Administration at his services.

[agrajag]

This way all the racists and the Q distinguished mentally-challenged fellows can pretend that he's giving them a signal. See, he is only lowering the flag for appearences, but he's actually really sticking it to the deep state.

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1034136236934422528

I... just.... don't.....even

[Mandark]

ha ha

[CatsCatsCats]

Mr Greenwald did nothing wrong, there are no charges against him

[FStop7]

https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1034136236934422528

I... just.... don't.....even

It's the reverse sound of music.  The Nazi Von Trapps show up and take over Austria.

[kingv]

(Image removed from quote.)

ha ha

Lol. What is this from?

[curly]

(Image removed from quote.)

ha ha

Lol. What is this from?

New Yorker

[BlueTsunami]

They asked him about it
(Image removed from quote.)

 

Swaddling himself like mama trump never did

[kingv]

Finally finished that Glenn Greenwald article.

I think he’s just contrarian to be contrarian. He’s just a really  high level internet troll.

He basically admits he’s been wrong about atrunp Russia for the last two years but then immediately claims he wasn’t wrong and also admits that he basically was personally sad that gay marriage was passed because he liked to wave around his persecution because of DOMA as a defense, and now he can’t use it anymore

[team filler]

[team filler]

Truth Seaker
27 minutes ago
If there is a Hell "The Hanoi song bird" is there now.

[Oblivion]

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1034153096275025920

[kingv]

That NFL stuff really DOESNT fly in TX.

[Brehvolution]

https://twitter.com/gilbertjasono/status/1034406274799153152

[Phoenix Dark]

The Mueller investigation and Qanan things almost mirror each other in a bizzaro way. We've already seen bombshells drop regarding Mueller, but the shit won't truly hit the fan until he starts indicting Americans (similarly to how he indicted Russians a couple months ago). At that point it'll be pretty undeniable that yea...a lot of people are fucked. Meanwhile...Hillary won't be arrested, Obama won't be indicted, Mueller won't be investigating either, etc.

That's not to say I believe reality will crash down on Q followers and they will admit they were duped. No, they'll simply pivot. Mueller was a deep state agent all along and betrayed Trump, for instance. This level of delusion doesn't simply dissipate in most cases, it just expands in various directions.

Also worth noting...the Mueller investigation has been a pretty comprehensive example of how this shit works in real life. IE we know how indictments are filed in court, how they can be sealed, how they're unsealed, how grand juries work, etc. If Hillary had been indicted and convicted...we'd know. If McCain was wearing an ankle monitor due to a grand jury indictment, we'd know. This is basic shit that this lazy ass conspiracy got wrong.

[Joe Molotov]

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/08/devin-nuness-curious-trip-to-london/568699/

A U.K. security official, speaking on background, said “it is normal for U.K. intelligence agencies to have meetings with the chairman and members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.” But those meetings did not pan out—Nunes came away meeting only with the U.K.’s deputy national-security adviser, Madeleine Alessandri. The people familiar with his trip told me that officials at MI6, MI5, and GCHQ were wary of entertaining Nunes out of fear that he was “trying to stir up a controversy.” Spokespeople for Alessandri and Nunes did not return requests for comment, and neither did the press offices for MI5 and MI6. GCHQ declined to comment.

Kara, come get your boy.

[Great Rumbler]

The Mueller investigation and Qanan things almost mirror each other in a bizzaro way. We've already seen bombshells drop regarding Mueller, but the shit won't truly hit the fan until he starts indicting Americans (similarly to how he indicted Russians a couple months ago). At that point it'll be pretty undeniable that yea...a lot of people are fucked. Meanwhile...Hillary won't be arrested, Obama won't be indicted, Mueller won't be investigating either, etc.

That's not to say I believe reality will crash down on Q followers and they will admit they were duped. No, they'll simply pivot. Mueller was a deep state agent all along and betrayed Trump, for instance. This level of delusion doesn't simply dissipate in most cases, it just expands in various directions.

Also worth noting...the Mueller investigation has been a pretty comprehensive example of how this shit works in real life. IE we know how indictments are filed in court, how they can be sealed, how they're unsealed, how grand juries work, etc. If Hillary had been indicted and convicted...we'd know. If McCain was wearing an ankle monitor due to a grand jury indictment, we'd know. This is basic shit that this lazy ass conspiracy got wrong.

QAnon won't go away for the same reason that other large conspiracy theories [JFK assassination, Moon landing, flat Earth, ect.] don't go away: they're not based on facts and evidence, they're based on desires and personal beliefs.

[kingv]

It’s silly that Q is still here even though that YouTube dude was basically exposed as being Q from his parents basement.

That said, the Q anon people will probably stick around but I wouldn’t be surprised if it splinters into competing theories.

[Joe Molotov]

[Brehvolution]

The party of personal responsibility. 

[Steve Contra]

The Qanon movie should be the office scene from A Beautiful Mind stretched over 2 hours.

[curly]

https://twitter.com/arlenparsa/status/1034114817848758273

[Nintex]

The Mueller investigation and Qanan things almost mirror each other in a bizzaro way. We've already seen bombshells drop regarding Mueller, but the shit won't truly hit the fan until he starts indicting Americans (similarly to how he indicted Russians a couple months ago). At that point it'll be pretty undeniable that yea...a lot of people are fucked. Meanwhile...Hillary won't be arrested, Obama won't be indicted, Mueller won't be investigating either, etc.

That's not to say I believe reality will crash down on Q followers and they will admit they were duped. No, they'll simply pivot. Mueller was a deep state agent all along and betrayed Trump, for instance. This level of delusion doesn't simply dissipate in most cases, it just expands in various directions.

Also worth noting...the Mueller investigation has been a pretty comprehensive example of how this shit works in real life. IE we know how indictments are filed in court, how they can be sealed, how they're unsealed, how grand juries work, etc. If Hillary had been indicted and convicted...we'd know. If McCain was wearing an ankle monitor due to a grand jury indictment, we'd know. This is basic shit that this lazy ass conspiracy got wrong.

QAnon won't go away for the same reason that other large conspiracy theories [JFK assassination, Moon landing, flat Earth, ect.] don't go away: they're not based on facts and evidence, they're based on desires and personal beliefs.

Noted master of subtly Ridley Scott said that he believes we'd have colonized and be living in blister housing on Mars by now had JFK not been assassinated.

Not sure about Mars colonies but history probably would've been different if JFK, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy weren't assassinated.
JFK for starters wouldn't have given the generals as much leeway as LBJ (who was less experienced on foreign policy) did.

[Mollys Fruity Loops]

Trump: "Google has taken advantage of a lot of people...if you look at what is going on at Twitter, look at what is going on in Facebook, they better be careful..Google and Twitter and Facebook, they're really treading on troubled territory"